What makes us stronger
by Megan McAlistair
Summary: Crysta has lost her magic. To reclaim it she must find strength. But there is only one place where she can find that: Sydney. Rated M for later chapters


A/N: I must admit I have never seen the movies (yes, movies, this story includes Ferngully 2 into its canon), I have only seen the reviews of Nostalgia Critic so if there are continuity errors... point them out. How can I write a story about it without ever having seen it? Let's see

Ferngully at its best was a beautiful sight. Fresh green leaves, impressive trees bearing luscious fruit.

Crysta loved it there, she loved everything about it. Whether it was her friends chasing her through the forest or just the calm presence of life that she felt when she closed her eyes.

It was her duty to protect all that but it didn't feel like a duty to her, it felt like what she had always wanted to do.

She was happy, she knew she was happy, everything around her was wonderful.

Growing trees, having fun, living with her friends and family...

Speaking of family, a new addition was coming to that today. She was probably even more excited than the mother herself.

As the magical guardian of the forest it was her duty to oversee and perform part of the creation ritual and this was her first time.

"Calm down Crysta, it's all gonna be fine", Pips grabbed her arm.

She hadn't noticed she'd been flying in circles.

"But what if I forget what to do? What if my magic doesn't work? What if-?", her rambling was effectively stopped by that berry Pips had just shoved into her mouth.

"I'll give you directions, that won't happen and you'll be fine, now come on, the robes are waiting", he pulled her along with him to the house of the soon-to-be parents as she was still trying to chew down on her involuntary meal.

Viera and Flaus were already waiting for her, holding hands, looking a little apprehensive and very excited.

"Pips guardian delivery service, if it's not there in thirty minutes it's for free!", he happily declared, presenting his best friend to them.

"I have no idea what you just said", Crysta mumbled through the last bits of berry.

"The human world leaves marks, Crysta, there's no way around that", he shrugged and looked back at the confused couple.

"Are you ready, Crysta?", Viera asked her.

"Yes, I'm ready, let's see it", she grinned widely in an attempt to mask her apprehension.

Flaus went to the other room while Viera stood there a bit awkwardly.

Pips patted Crysta on the shoulder. "You got something in your teeth there", he whispered into her ear.

Embarrassed she turned away and tried to get whatever she had there with her tongue.

As Flaus returned she turned back also. Pips gave her a thumbs up, signalling she had gotten it all.

"I hope you're satisfied, we did the best we could", Viera suddenly seemed a lot more nervous, Flaus put his free arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

Crysta took the robe from Flaus' hand in awe. This wasn't fabric, this was a cloud, or at least that was what it felt like to her.

The cloth was so light and soft that it seemed to her like it almost wasn't there. She let it glide over her head and it fit around her form snugly.

It felt like flying, soft, tender breezes flowing around her curves, ever in motion but never leaving her skin.

"Is it to your satisfaction?", Viera finally dared to speak up.

"Satisfaction? Are you kidding? This is wonderful, I love it", she spun around herself two times while grinning madly.

The couple let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. The making of the robe was a very important part of the ceremony. The better the parents did the happier their child would be.

"I'm so glad", Viera finally brought out.

"Now let's get going, they're probably waiting for us already", Pips grabbed Crysta's wrist and pulled her out of the house so fast she almost forgot to start flying again.

"They've been waiting for us for two days, a few more minutes aren't going to hurt", Flaus threw in.

He was right, a creation didn't happen very often so everyone was excited. They camped around the tree of rituals and created a little festival all around it, with food and drinks and a lot of animals coming to watch.

Pips let go of her and disappeared in the crowd as music started playing. That was the signal.

Flaus and Viera took each other's hands as they flew to the middle of the circle that the crowd had formed. Their faces were very serious.

Crysta suddenly realized what she was about to do.

She was creating a life, she was going to be responsible for it, if she screwed up now she would doom an innocent child to a horrid existence.

She stopped mid-flight.

Flaus and Viera turned around to her, worry on both their faces.

Then she closed her eyes.

Ferngully was there, she could feel it, all of it. Suddenly she was like a tree, strong, patient, forever, steady. The essence of life was flowing through her, the magic, she felt it all. Life and death, creation and decomposition, it was all one.

When she opened her eyes again, this time the feeling didn't disappear, it stayed with her. She was no longer Crysta, she was Ferngully. As she flew up to the couple she smiled gently, two little children producing another, it was ironic at best and sad at worst.

She held out her hands, forming a surface with her palms upon which the two placed their hands and closed their eyes. She felt her magic and theirs mixing. They didn't know what they were doing but Ferngully did and so she shaped their creation into something that could live, something that could fly with them.

As she felt the weight of the baby on her hands Ferngully left her and she felt empty.

She didn't notice anything after that. Not how the baby was taken out of her hands, not how Pips patted her shoulder, telling her she did great, not the cheers of the crowd or the smell of the food, she simply felt nothing.

She flew away, far away, not stopping, not feeling, only basking in that feeling of emptiness that filled her.

She finally reached a part of the forest where she had never been before, Ferngully was big. It didn't look like the familiar part of the forest.

There were dead trees and crookedly grown trees and even a dead animal lying on the ground. It was darker here.

She did what she had always done and went down to heal the dead tree.

But as much as she tried, nothing grew, nothing happened.

She sat down on the ground and started to cry.

_Look at the little child, _she felt a voice in her mind.

_Look at her crying. Can she heal us? Can she defend us?_

_How can she defend us if she doesn't know us?_

"Who are you?", Crysta cried out into the darkness.

_We are Ferngully._

_We helped you today. You would not have managed on your own, little child._

_How can you manage if you are not strong?_

_How can you be strong if you don't know pain?_

_Little, protected child, always have you been able to overcome everything, everything was provided to you, you have been exhausted and in pain but never truly desperate._

_Child of the forest, feel the fire, and you will know us._

_Be strong and you will be able to heal us._

_Burn._


End file.
